With the season winding down and thoughts of Edmonton Oilers fan turning to the summer trading season, Cult of Hockey writers Bruce McCurdy, Jonathan Willis and me looked at how the team will fill the hole at right defence.

Staples: To acquire that top right shot d-man the Oilers need (Kevin Shattenkirk, Sami Vatanen or Travis Hamonic, for example), what is the most you would give up? And what is the least you think the other team would accept?

McCurdy: Hoo boy, nothing like opening with a softball, eh David? Agreed Oilers need to shore up their top 4, preferably with a rightie. Other candidates include pending RFA Tyson Barrie and pending UFA Jason Demers, though in each case an extension by their own team remains a likely outcome.

Willis: It varies based on who is available. So, for example, I’d pay more for Harmonic than Vatanen. As for overall price, unless there’s someone available that we don’t know about I probably draw the line at the Oilers’ three centres.

McCurdy: The name of Travis Hamonic has dominated conversation this year. It seems like since he (reportedly) asked for a trade the assumed price just keeps going up & up, as if it was the trading partner who had their hand forced rather than the Islanders. Hamonic is a solid player, though he’s not a panacea — he won’t resolve the team’s need for a powerplay quarterback in the way that Shattenkirk, Barrie, or Vatanen would. The target team will likely be cap-strapped so may be more open to a cost-controlled asset coming the other way. Oilers’ draft pick will have a better established value after the draft lottery on April 16, but it could certainly be in play.

Travis Hamonic, above.Bruce Bennett /
Getty Images

Staples: I’ve said all along I’d move Oscar Klefbom for Hamonic. I don’t see this as a lateral move, as the Oilers have a glut on the left side and need a right side d-man. I like Klefbom and suspect he’ll be a Top 4 NHL d-man over the life of his deal, but Hamonic will also be one, and he’s on the right side of the ice.

Willis: I don’t move Klefbom. Nurse’s ceiling is uncertain and Klefbom is already likely better than Sekera. He’s the best LD on the team.

McCurdy: I’m with Jon in that I am extremely reluctant to move any of the pivots. I know some will say “deal from strength” but to me that strength in that position is what will put the Oilers above much of their competition in years to come. Certainly one of Oilers’ options is to sacrifice one of their young LHD, Klefbom or Nurse, to help solve the RD issue. Those guys would surely carry a lot of value, mitigated by Klefbom’s health woes (STILL not skating with the team) and Nurse’s inexperience. Both have considerable upside — meaning Oilers would be taking a distinct risk of losing that trade. But they could likely use one of them as the key trading chip to land one of the righties we’ve discussed.

Oscar Klefbom of the Edmonton OilersShaughn Butts /
Edmonton Journal

Staples: I’m not an expert on any of these d-men on other teams, in that I haven’t watched them closely for their last 20 or 30 games, but it strikes me that the Oilers could badly use both Hamonic and Vatanen. As for Vatanen, whom Bob Stauffer mentions a lot as a target, I wonder if the Ducks would take Eberle for Vatanen? If the Oilers scouts determine that Vatanen can fill that No. 1 right D roll and lead the power play as well, then I’d go Eberle for Vatanen.

Willis: The problem with Vatanen is that he almost certainly isn’t a top-pair even-strength defenceman. He’ll help a lot on the PP and the PK, but if I’m looking for an offensive guy who can also be a No. 1 RD, I’m looking at Shattenkirk rather than Vatanen.

Staples: BTW, I agree with you JW that Klefbom may well be the Oilers best left defenceman. He was certainly playing that way for the two months before he got hurt, which is a long run of games. At the same time, there’s a hole on right defence that needs. As for giving up Nugent-Hopkins for Vatanen or Hamonic, I agree that’s an overpayment and not a trade that makes sense.

McCurdy: The concern about trading Eberle is the absence of right shooting skill forwards. We fixate about the hole at right-shooting D but it’s a shortcoming up front as well, with all 3 pivots plus Hall, Yakupov & Pouliot being left shots & only Eberle among the high-profile guys being a righty. So any plan to trade Eberle will need to be one of a set of moves.

Jordan Eberle of the Edmonton OilersShaughn Butts /
Edmonton Journal

Staples: There’s a chance that if the Isles lose Kyle Okposo they will accept Eberle in a trade for Hamonic. You’re right Bruce that if Eberle goes the Oilers will need a right shooting winger, but there’s a couple of good ones in the draft in Laine and Puljujarvi.

Willis: It seems vital to me that the Oilers be in the playoff chase next year. That means both LD and RD need to be relatively strong, and I don’t see LD getting the job done unless Klefbom is on the team. Nurse/Davidson are both question marks in a top-four role.

Staples: I see Davidson being as good a player right now as Klefbom, with Sekera and Nurse rounding out left side and Reinhart as back up.

Willis: And so this conversation turns, as it always does, to David and I arguing the merits of Edmonton defencemen!

Staples: And, as always, we see Bruce being cautious about trading any of the Oilers top players, and meticulous in his caution. Hell, maybe caution is best, and the Oilers can figure this out by moving two left d-men (Sekera, Klefbom and Davidson) to the right side.

McCurdy: Sober second thought is my motto, David. And third thought, and fourth thought…. If I was a GM I’d be Tambellini. Probably a good thing I’m not a GM.

Staples: If I was GM, I’d probably be Phil Esposito, so don’t listen to me either. 😉

Willis: But please, keep on reading, readers!

Staples: If our readers are honest — and they strike me as being reasonable strong in that regard — they’ll admit the obvious, that not one of us or them are anywhere near qualified to be NHL GMs, or to give advice to NHL GMs. We’re just fans have a good chat about our favourite teams. At least that’s how I see it.

Willis: I think it’s dangerous to focus on personal quality rather than quality of the argument, David. Even good general managers make mistakes; arguments should be weighted based on their own merits rather than the person making them.

Staples: I agree with your “quality of argument” argument, JW. When it comes to trades, however, I’m think we’ve all got something useful to offer about players we’ve seen a ton on the Oilers, but the longer I blog on the Oilers, the more I realize that without a thorough study of an opposing player, say reviewing 10 games or so, it’s tough if not impossible to assess his value. Back to the trading scenarios, there’s also the chance that the market for Hamonic or Vatanen will be soft and the Oilers can pick up one of these players for a cheaper price. Fingers crossed. It’s certainly happened before that the price of d-men isn’t so high as one might expect. But if Islanders demand a left defenceman in a trade, JW, would you move Nurse for Hamonic?

Willis: That’s an awfully tough question and I’d want to take a longer look at Hamonic before I answer it, David. Probably not, though. Hamonic is in a unique situation because there are a limited number of teams that are a fit. That may give Edmonton some leverage.

The Oilersâ Andrew Ference and the Jetsâ Jacob Trouba battle for a loose puck JOHN WOODS /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

McCurdy: Barrie is an interesting option. Sounds like he wants big bucks & maybe prices himself out of Colorado. Of course the cost of acquisition would also have to take into account what it would cost to sign the player. I guess he has his warts but any time I watch the guy he plays like James D. Norris himself. Another RFA guy with big salary demands is Jacob Trouba. Not sure how the Jets resolve his situation.

Willis: Barrie and Trouba are both interesting, but I can’t see the Avs trading the former given the state of their defence and a possible resolution to the latter might be Hamonic to Winnipeg.

McCurdy: Indeed, the entire Canadian market might be vulnerable, in that a $70+ MM USD salary cap is closer to $100 MM Canadian. I fully expect to see “internal budgets” that hold sway over salary cap in some markets. Not that that is going to spring a Subban or a Karlsson, mind. But maybe a Trouba or even a Chris Tanev might be more available than we might assume. Dare I even mention Dougie Hamilton? Note: I am assuming Edmonton itself is temporarily invulnerable to internal cap considerations due to the new arena situation, but I could be dead wrong about this. I do know it’s a tough time for Canadian franchises and it’s playing out on the ice already. Chiarelli has experience being at the other end of the Johnny Boychuk situation, a player acquired at a bargain who provided value for years but had to be moved when his big pay day was around the corner. This could be Shattenkirk, or it could be some other dude we haven’t mentioned yet.

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